A report into the retrofitting of sprinklers in existing high-rise blocks of flats will conclude that it is both cost effective and practical to do so, following a pilot installation last year.

A preview of the full report – due to be launched by the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) in April – challenges the prevailing government view that it is not practical or economically viable to require the retrospective fitting of sprinkler systems to all high rise residential buildings.

The report is based on an installation at Callow Mount in Gleadless, Sheffield in what it thought to be the first retro-fitting of a sprinkler system in a tower block while residents remained in occupation. The project was completed in four weeks during August and September 2011.

The total cost of the project was around £55,000, averaging at around £1,150 per flat which, says BAFSA, compares favourably with alternative fire protection measures. It estimates that the annual cost of maintenance would be around £250 a year if a contract for the entire block was entered into.

“The true installation and whole-life costs can permit a cost benefit analysis of sprinkler installations in relation to potential repair and rehousing costs following a fire,” says a summary of the report. “The full-life costs of a sprinkler system should be compared with other upgrading fire protection measures so that the benefits of each can be carefully weighed up.” 

The report will recommend that existing guidance documents and approved codes of practice be updated to reflect the findings of the pilot project. It will call for the installation of sprinkler systems to be “positively considered” by housing authorities and providers when reviewing or planning:

• Major refurbishment programmes
• Development of fire safety policies
• Fire risk assessments
• Cost effectiveness of other fire safety measures
• Compensating for deficiencies or defects in fire safety provision or non compliances with current fire safety standards

 “These findings will permit national government, local housing authorities and private sector housing associations to realistically re-consider the use of sprinklers as part of a comprehensive fire safety strategy for existing unprotected high-rise blocks across the UK,” the report’s summary concludes.

Steve Seaber, project manager at BAFSA, will be presenting some of the findings of the pilot project as part of the Housing Fire Safety day at Firex South on 14 March.

A preview of the report is available here.

Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats is on the agenda for the 14th March at Firex South. You can register here.